EP0136562A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Continuous sputtering apparatus
Assignee: Hitachi Ltd
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Filing: 1984-08-31
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2004-08-31
Abstract
Abstract @ A continuous sputtering apparatus comprising a main vacuum chamber (32), one loading station (8) and a plurality of process stations (9-12) capable of having their pressures controlled separately. The process station includes a sub vacuum chamber (34) capable of being in communication with the main vacuum chamber through an opening (33) and an evacuation port (35). The loading station and the process stations are arranged to be spaced with equal angles. Substrate holders (42) are provided to face the stations and are rotated by said equal angle in a time. The substrate holder opens and closes the opening of the sub vacuum chamber to serve as a gate valve.
Inventors
- 👤 Hideki Tateishi
- 👤 Tamotsu Shimizu
- 👤 Susumu Aiuchi
- 👤 Katsuhiro Iwashita
- 👤 Hiroshi Nakamura
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 12:08
CPC Classifications
C; C23; C23C; C23C14/00; C23C14/22; C23C14/56; C23C14/564; C23C14/566; C23C14/568
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
233 words
A continuous sputtering apparatus comprising: a vacuum vessel (30) forming a main vacuum chamber (32); evacuation means (5) connected to the vacuum vessel; a plurality of stations consisting of one loading station (8) and a plurality of process stations (9-12) and arranged to be spaced with equal angles on a wall (38) of the vacuum vessel; and substrate transfer means (39) including substrate holders (42), which are same in number as the stations and face the stations, and enabling the substrate holders to rotate by said equal angle in a time in the main vacuum chamber, characterized in that at least two said process stations (9-12) each includes a sub vacuum chamber (34), gas introduction means (2-4) connected to the sub vacuum chamber, an opening (33) making a communication between the sub vacuum chamber and the main vacuum chamber (32), an evacuation port (35) making a communication between the sub vacuum chamber and the main vacuum chamber, valve means (37) for opening and closing the evacuation port and one of a sputter-deposition unit (18) and a sputter-etching unit (18); and said substrate transfer means (39) includes drive means (43-47) for pushing the substrate holders (42) airtightly against the openings (33) of the process stations (9-12) and for separating the substrate holders from the openings, so that the substrate holders serve as gate valves between the sub vacuum chambers and the main vacuum chamber.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
233 words
A continuous sputtering apparatus comprising: a vacuum vessel (30) forming a main vacuum chamber (32); evacuation means (5) connected to the vacuum vessel; a plurality of stations consisting of one loading station (8) and a plurality of process stations (9-12) and arranged to be spaced with equal angles on a wall (38) of the vacuum vessel; and substrate transfer means (39) including substrate holders (42), which are same in number as the stations and face the stations, and enabling the substrate holders to rotate by said equal angle in a time in the main vacuum chamber, characterized in that at least two said process stations (9-12) each includes a sub vacuum chamber (34), gas introduction means (2-4) connected to the sub vacuum chamber, an opening (33) making a communication between the sub vacuum chamber and the main vacuum chamber (32), an evacuation port (35) making a communication between the sub vacuum chamber and the main vacuum chamber, valve means (37) for opening and closing the evacuation port and one of a sputter-deposition unit (18) and a sputter-etching unit (18); and said substrate transfer means (39) includes drive means (43-47) for pushing the substrate holders (42) airtightly against the openings (33) of the process stations (9-12) and for separating the substrate holders from the openings, so that the substrate holders serve as gate valves between the sub vacuum chambers and the main vacuum chamber.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
26 words
A continuous sputtering apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said substrate transfer means (39) enables the substrate holders (42) to rotate around a vertical axis.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
52 words
A continuous sputtering apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said loading station (8) includes a take-in-and-out chamber (52) capable of being evacuated, substrate carrier means (53, 54) provided in the take-in-and-out chamber and loading means (51) for transferring the substrate (14) between the substrate carrier means and the substrate holder (42).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
A continuous sputtering apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said loading means (51) includes a loading chamber (51) provided between the vacuum vessel (30) and the take-in-and-out chamber (52).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
29 words
A continuous sputtering apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said evacuation means (5) and said loading chamber (51) are connected to each other through a bypass pipe (63).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
46 words
A continuous sputtering apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising four process stations (9-12) each including the sub vacuum chamber (34), the process stations having, respectively in order, a substrate baking unit (18), a sputter-etching unit (18), a sputter-deposition unit (18) and a sputter-deposition unit (18).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
A continuous sputtering apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein said vacuum vessel (30) has a horizontal cross section of pentagonal shape.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
67 words
A continuous sputtering apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said drive means (43-47) includes a conical cam (45) movable upward and downward on a central axis of rotation of the substrate holders (42), pushers (43) movable horizontally by being pressed against the conical cam (45) by compression coil springs (47) to push the substrate holders (42) outward and leaf springs (41) pulling the substrate holders inward.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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